


Tranquility

by xrivainx



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Tranquil Hawke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:37:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xrivainx/pseuds/xrivainx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one's going to like the most recent change to the Champion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tranquility

**Author's Note:**

> I mainly wrote this as a way to torture my boyfriend because I really like breaking hearts.  
> If this does the same to you, let me know, and maybe I'll continue it at an undisclosed date~
> 
> Okay, no, seriously, this gonna hurt, and I'm really proud of how it turned out.

If she felt any pain from the brand, she didn't remember it.

It was an almost smooth transition from any memory beforehand to complete silence in her mind. She didn't even remember the process of the branding. Perhaps that was a part of the magic behind it. She made a mental note to inquire, do some research when she had a free moment. For now, she was assigned to Knight-Captain Cullen.

When she first entered the same room as him after the branding, she could tell there was something he wasn't agreeing with. Whether his face showed regret or sadness at the action, she couldn't tell, and simply asked him if he was feeling well. He brushed her off with an “I'm fine,” and left her in his office with the simple task of organizing the room.

There were no details her actions had to follow. Perhaps that was intentional, meant to help her ease into her new job, so to speak.

She started by straightening the papers on his desk, trying to restore some sort of order within the documents. Since she was unsure whether or not she had permission to gloss over the papers, she simply set the corners straight and left an open area on the middle of the desk for him to work on. That only took a small part of an hour. He had specified the office as a whole, so she moved on to start alphabetizing the books on the shelf.

They were extremely dusty as if he hadn't touched them the entire time he had been in Kirkwall. It was a grand task, but she knew better than to do a sub-par job. She would need a step ladder.

 

* * *

 

“Cullen!”

He turned from the new recruit to see the apostate running up to him, with the dwarf and pirate behind. It was odd seeing them without Hawke. Her other companions must have been held up somewhere, he was sure they'd be with these three otherwise.

“If you've come to surrender, you should have come alone.”

“I know she's here.”

“Who?”

“Hawke.”

He swallowed a thick lump in his throat. Of course they'd know. She'd be stupid to not inform them.

“ _Where. Is. She._ ”

“Don't take that tone with me, apostate. _I_ wasn't the one who called her here.”

“Your 'help' will get me nowhere.” Anders turned and began walking towards the path Hawke had taken them so many times before, one that would lead to the interior of the Gallows.

“You aren't allowed that way!” Cullen began to trail behind the trio, only stopping when Anders turned on his heel and looked at him with lyrium colored eyes.

“Aren't I?” His voice had changed, seemingly layered. Was this the spirit within people gossiped about? “You have the Champion behind those walls, an injustice to the entire city of Kirkwall. She...is important to me, and you will have to kill me to prevent me from finding her.”

While Cullen didn't...exactly feel safe around Anders at the moment, he hadn't attacked anyone, and the templar wasn't going to attack the mage simply on unproven suspicions. _Maker's breath_. He continued to follow the trio into the templar hall.

“This isn't going to give you the answers you want.”

Anders stopped abruptly, the pirate nearly walking into his back.

Cullen didn't want to tell the group what had happened, no one needed to tell them. But he had to admit, he was very concerned when he saw the rage on the mage's face, accentuated darkly by the lines of magic running through his skin.

This wasn't going to go well.

The stepladder was just barely enough help for the taller shelves. A few of the tomes looked interesting, perhaps providing a good amount of research if she was given enough time to go through them. Something to ask about.

The loud bang of the door hitting the wall grabbed her attention, causing her to freeze as she was pulling a book off the shelf.

“Ah, Anders. Captain Isabela. Mr. Tethras.” She placed the book down on one of the stacks around the ladder and stepped down, standing at attention in front of the trio. “Knight-Captain. I apologize for the state of disarray, I was in the middle of - ”

“Hawke?” Anders slowly walked towards her, dropping his staff along the way.

“How can I help you?”

He reached out, pausing when his fingers hovered over her face as if he couldn't bring himself to touch the sun that now rested upon her forehead. Disbelief ran through his system as he turned towards Cullen.

“How could you let this happen? How could you let her do this? How could Orsino?”

“ _I_ had no say in the matter, and Orsino wasn't consulted, as far as I'm aware. If I had known, I would have found a way to prevent it.”

“That doesn't change what happened, Curly. After everything she'd done to help Kirkwall...”

“This is a prime example of how Meredith treats mages, even those who help the Chantry!” The air crackled slightly around Anders, only felt by the baby hairs on the back of everyone necks. “There isn't anything she'd do to - ”

“Anders...”

Everyone became silent at the sudden change in Hawke's voice. Confusion, hesitance, almost compassion in the undertones. Isabela and Varric had seen this before, but Cullen almost tripped on the skirt of his armor as he stepped back.

“Hawke.” The apostate reached forward and cupped her face, tears beginning to stream down his own cheeks. “Marian. I'm sorry, I...”

“Shh.” Her fingers gently ran down his jaw, tickled slightly by the stubble. “I'm fine.”

“No, you're not.”

“Maybe not. I love you, Anders. Please, remember that.”

The two knew she didn't have much longer to remain and stood with their foreheads touching.

“I swear on Andraste's holy grave that I will not allow this longer than necessary. I will not let her get away with this.”

“I know. I know. I...” Her hand fell as the effect of being near Anders wore off, as her Tranquil state returned.

There was nothing but anger in Anders' eyes as he stepped back from the Champion. The templar could turn to stone where he stood, for all he cared. He was going to burn the Gallows to the ground if he had the chance. He fought to keep Justice at bay as he stared into Marian's eyes once more.

“Was there anything I could assist you with?”

 


End file.
